Ice on Baikal

Baikal freezes in winter every year

First the water surface is covered by thin ice. But even a weak wave breaks it into separate little thin ice floes called "salo". Then along the coast narrow strips of ice are formed. During the storm icicles – stalactites are formed out of freezing splashes on the coastal rocks. These are so-called "sokui" which remain as natural ornaments for the whole winter. Sometimes in sokui there are original ice grottoes. In open water there is a process of crystallization of ice invisible for an eye. Water may not freeze completely because of constant wave hashing, but small lenses and needles by the size in some millimeters are formed in it.

The beginning of colds

With the beginning of colds at the temperature of air lower than - 20°C within the first 3-4 days ice accrues on 4-5 sm a day. At the end of October shallow gulfs freeze, in January1-14 - deep-water areas freeze. In the southern part Baikal is closed for 4-4,5 months, in the northern part - 6-6,5 months. On the water area of the lake thickness of ice changes from 70 up to 120 sm, thus there is a kind of law-governed nature: the more snow, the thin ice is. Along the northwestern coast and in the Small sea transparent ice free from snow is formed through which it is possible to see the bottom on shallowness.

Ice

Ice with the thickness of 50 sm.can bear the weight up to 15 tons, therefore in winter it is possible to move on cars on the ice of Baikal freely. In 1904 between the Baikal port and the Tankhoi point even the ice railway worked. At the eastern coast ice conditions are more difficult, than in the west. In many parts of Baikal little melting from below and formation of soaring which sizes are various from several meters in diameter up to hundreds meters take place during the winter. The earlier melting (for 2-3 weeks) near abrupt rocky western coasts is also noted.

Cracks in ice of the width of 0,5-4 m stretch for tens of kilometers cause danger. Many of such cracks do not freeze all the winter, being periodically narrowed or extended. These cracks are quite often accompanied by the strong "artillery" crash frightening people on the ice. These cracks are called "stanovye". Covered with thin crust of young ice they quite often become insidious traps rather dangerous for cars moving on ice and for people on horses. By cracks during strong winds ice heaps - the hummocks reaching height of 1,5-3 meters are formed. Some of them may reach the 5-meter height. The cracks often extend and streaks are formed, this phenomenon is especially observed in spring before opening of the ice cover.

Breaking of the ice begins at the end of April from the Big Kadil`ny cape since ice melting under the influence of ascending streams of warm waters of underwater sources begins. In the last turn (June 9-14) the northern part of the lake is released from ice. The impact of ice weight on the coast sometimes causes destruction of engineering constructions. There were accidents when at the Tankhoi station ice pushed cargo train together with the steam locomotive from rails, and in v. Listvyanka the " Angara " icebreaker by the weight of 1800 tons was swept out on the land. In April the ice cover becomes fragile, darkens, and in May Baikal becomes absolutely released from ice, but ice fields and separate ice floes float over Baikal till June.

While travelling on ice it is necessary to keep the rules of precaution. One shouldn`t go by cars, snowmobiles and other vehicles outside of the checked up winter roads besides you should not move on a high speed because you would not able to notice the crack.